Polarkreis 18 was one of the first bands ever covered on Germaniac.com, and Greg was seriously impressed with their debut self-titled album that came out in early 2007. The young band didn’t waste any time, and released a second full-length, The Colour of Snow, last October. It was preceded by the single Allein allein which turned out to be a suprise hit - serves the band right, as Allein allein is a really good song. It’s beautiful and adequately chilly, and has a great, catchy singalong chorus to boot. The album itself is also one of my personal favourites from last year. Polarkreis 18 has been rightfully compared to Sigur Rós from Iceland, but on The Colour of Snow the band moves beyond being just a German version of that band to actually being even better, especially when compared to Sigur Rós’s lackluster latest offering, also released last year. Polarkreis are also coming out with another single cut, the title song from the current album, soon on 13th February, but details of the release are scarce at the moment. It will at least be their entry for the Bundesvision Song Contest 2009 which will be held mid-February.

If you’re up for some fantastic, chillingly beautiful electronic indie rock soundscapes and/or are seeking for more of something like Sigur Rós, you’d do well to get to know Polarkreis 18. Their MySpace has four lengthy samples from The Colour of Snow and also two older ones, they’re a good way to get you started. There’s also a brand new video for the upcoming single track, viewable here. The album is pretty widely available, for example both Amazon.de and Amazon.com have it.

Polarkreis 18 - The Colour of Snow tracklist
1. Tourist
2. Allein Allein
3. Prisoner
4. Untitled Picture
5. The Colour Of Snow
6. 130/70
7. Rainhouse
8. River Loves The Ocean
9. Name On My ID
10. Happy Go Lucky

The new Radio Goethe podcast is online now at both the Radio Goethe website and on iTunes. While there is no particular theme or genre for this week’s show, the entire hour of music is great. Don’t forget to listen to it sometime this week.

A focus on Polarkreis 18
Polarkreis 18 is the first band on the podcast. I originally recommended this new band almost a year ago when this blog was still in its infancy and they quickly became a personal favorite. I was also recently talking to a friend in Germany who went to a Polarkreis 18 concert just a few weeks ago and he said it was one of the best shows he has ever been to. He really emphasized how talented the musicians are and how fantastic it was to hear the music live. I just wish I could have been there too. So if you haven’t listened to Polarkreis 18 yet for some odd reason, this podcast is a great opportunity to hear them for the first time. You can also hear more songs on their MySpace page.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast playlist:
Polarkreis 18: Dreamdancer
Phillip Boa: On Tuesdays I’m not as young
Bratze: Im Auge des Lachs
Nachlader: Arbeitsgeld
Ascii.Disko: Aldimarkt
2raumwohnung: Besser gehts nicht
Rosenstolz: Ich bin ich
Falco: Der Kommissar 2000
Herbst in Peking: La Dolce Vita
Chamber: Freak wave
Unheilig: Spiegelbild
H-Blockx: Leave me alone
Doro: I rule the ruins
Doro: Für immer

Polarkreis 18 is a new band from Dresden. Their self-titled debut album was released a few months ago on February 16th and consists of 11 calm and atmospheric, yet invigorating indie electronic tracks. The closest thing to the sound of this album that I can think of is the Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós. Polarkries 18 is the perfect album to listen to while sitting back and relaxing, maybe during some cold weather given the album’s wintery theme.

Check out some of the (full-length) songs they have available on their website’s music page or the band’s Myspace page.

Polarkreis 18 tracklist
1. Intro
2. Dreamdancer
3. Chiropody
4. Somedays Sundays
5. Crystal Lake
6. Comes Around
7. Stellaris
8. Look
9. After All, He Was Sad
10. Ursa Major
11. Under This Big Moon